Kukla's Korner Hockey

(Matt) Bradley, who signed with the Florida Panthers in July as an unrestricted free agent, also told Ottawa’s TEAM 1200 that the Capitals’ locker room was “maybe a little bit too nonchalant” and undisciplined.

A partial transcipt is below:

On why the Capitals couldn’t break through in a second-round sweep against Tampa Bay:

“You know, I don’t have a definite answer. I mean, there’s reasons why. We had some guys who didn’t show up in playoffs, and I’ll leave them unnamed. I think our locker room was maybe a little bit too nonchalant, and guys weren’t disciplined the way they should have been. Those two things are big things.

“I’d say that’s about it, because we had a lot of guys that played hard and played well, and it seemed that sometimes the guys that weren’t playing well were the ones getting the [majority] of the ice time. In the playoffs I don’t think it matters who you are; it’s who’s playing well for you at the time, and that’s not always what happened with our team. It wasn’t the guys who were playing well at the time, it was the guys who were our best players for the most part who were playing no matter what.”

Asked to describe the discipline problems without naming names:

“I don’t mind saying Alexander Semin’s name, because he’s one guy who has so much talent, he could easily be the best player in the league, and just for whatever reason, just doesn’t care….

Expect someone like Michel Terrien to come in next year. And then the party will officially be over.

typically when a team makes a coaching change they go in the opposite direction of the previous coach. Since Bruce is the overly vocal-yelling type they would most likely go with a more calm style next, like Balsma or laviolette.

Terrien would be the same as Bruce, which in most cases is not the route a team goes.

Matt Bradley going over in ink what everyone already penciled into their brain

Then again, I have no idea whether Semin would even respond to a more hard-assed coach. Washington should trade him to Detroit so we could find out.

Dead on. Operation shutdown seems like a distinct possibility for this player.

Expect someone like Michel Terrien to come in next year. And then the party will officially be over.

Dead on again. I don’t know if Therrien’s a good enough tactical coach to win a cup (Babcock had Pittsburgh’s breakouts, forechecks and NZ formation picked apart to the point where it looked like even scrubs like Hudler were reading minds), but there would never, ever be a lack of discipline like Bradley describes on a Therien team. Very effective with shame.

I’ve thought they should hire this guy for years.

Posted by
steviesteve
on 08/17/11 at 02:47 PM ET

Posted by gretzky_to_lemieux on 08/17/11 at 12:43 PM ET

Boudreau & Therrien’s rants are not at the same level or motivation.

The point is Therrien will make the team accountable and give them the solid structure they need. They don’t need another “player’s coach” to coddle them a la Boudreau.

The point is Therrien will make the team accountable and give them the solid structure they need. They don’t need another “player’s coach” to coddle them a la Boudreau.

Exactly. While Therien might not be the coach they’d go after, it would be someone similar to his personality and style.

I like Boudreau and I loved what he’s done in Washington. He’s a great ‘tweener’ coach in that he can take a team that’s losing and boost them to the next level.
I also love how he injected some fun and offense into the NHL for a short while.
But he’ll never get his teams to the highest level.

Washington reminds me a lot of the Wings from the late 80’s and early 90’s when Jacque Demers and Brian Murray were running things.
Both guys let the players do their thing and they usually responded with great regular seasons and even greater flame-outs in the playoffs.
None of the players were accountable and the offensive stars were allowed to roam free and collect points at will.
Along comes Bowman, who hated life, and suddenly they were winning Cups.

The Caps are very close to doing some great things if the proper pieces are put into place.
They just need the right guy to take them there.

The Caps are very close to doing some great things if the proper pieces are put into place.
They just need the right guy to take them there.

Agreed. They are sooo close to doing playoff damage. Unfortunately, the 3 things they need to do aren’t easily done: chuck Semin and Green for comparable assets with more balls, replace coach with someone who can take them the final step (they missed the train on Boucher and DeBoer, imo)

Posted by
steviesteve
on 08/17/11 at 04:45 PM ET

Semin is one of those players that would have great success on a team trying to get back to the playoffs - not one that is poised to have success in them. There are lots on NHLers who fall into that boat. Guys who have all the talent that can help teams get to the playoffs but cannot help them win in the playoffs. Any of the 14 teams that missed last year, he would be of use to… not every player is going to be a playoff performer. Of course they are paid to be I know, but reality trumps all - money included.